The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-02
THE NEW FUEL GAS.
Invented by the Maker of the First Artificial

Los Angeles Times.
On the southeast corner OF Alameda and
Seventeenth streets the 1920 900 nlanr of the new
water gas company is now complete. Through
the principal streets of the city some six miles OF
big mains have been laid, and next week the
company hopes to be making the new gas
which for fuel and Illuminating purposes is con-
fdenty claimed to be entirely without an equal
The opening Of the new works will involve
social revolution here. The superb ipcnudescent
ight-gen orally preferred to iucandescent cleo
trcity-wll be sufficiently welcome novelty but
in the kitchen stove aud in the parior-srate the
new gas will make itself most felt safe
gas, which will not explode nor set the
mouse fire: which will do all manner of
cooking as well as a coal fire and at very
much less cost; which makes the lighting
and qusnehing OF the kitchen fire or the parlor
heater as simple a matter as turning the water
and off at the sink, that will readily appeal
to every household in the city. and there will be
a scramble to get on the line of the labor saving
pipes. Professor loves homo is in Norristown,
Pa. but ne is now making a tour of the coast;
accompanied by his wife and daughter. OF tall
and commanding figure, handsome and intelli-
gent face and polished address, Professor Lowe
would attract attention in any company. His
life has been an interesting and rather distin-
guished one. During the war he had charge of
the balloon service, being chief of the Govern
msnt Observation Corps Here his in
directly after the close of the war he made most
important dscovery-the process of making
artificial ice. In 1866 in New York. he manu-
featured the first pound OF artificial ice ever
made. Soon after he established an ice factory
at Spriug fsld, Mass, and astonishsd the natives
by sending Connecticut river shad frozen up in
the center of crystal blocks Of ice, far as Now
Orleans He refrigerated the first steamer that
ever sailed from New York to Europe with
cold-storags cargo. and made the plans for the
first refrigerator car ever constructed. Unfortu-
nately, he was too progressive for his day and
generation, and he never rsaped the pecupiary
benefits of invention which has revolution
lied the worlds commerce in perishabe articles.
While experimenting with artificial ice how
ever, Professor Lowe made even more i'm
portant discovery; and, more fortunate this
time laid tho foundations of lasting success.
He invented the process for manufacturing
illuminating gas from water. His experiments
proved a perfect success, as to-day 2S6 cities in
the United States using his wate-gas for
illuminating purposes. This invention is four
teen wears old The adaptation for fuel pur-
poses. however, is of recent date. and the
remarkably clever and convenient appliances for
cooking and heating with it are but lately COM
peted. Los Angeles 10 the third city in the
world to have the fuel-gas plant Lynn. Mass,
was the first and the people there are delighted
with the gas, both for illuminating and for fuel
Troy, Il. Y. was the second city to get plant,
but il was really an experiment. there and Los
Angeles will really be the second city with the
fuel-gas plant in full operation.